On 6 September 2011, the DGA procurement branch of the French Ministry of Defence placed an order with Panhard General Defense for 200 PVP light protected vehicles for the French Army, with deliveries to start in 2012. A conditional order has been agreed for a further 100 vehicles. This order follows an initial contract for 933 PVPs signed in 2004, the last of which will be produced in December 2011.
This new contract also includes additional equipment for adaptation to the different French Army missions and the conditions that the vehicles will encounter during operations (including transport/support, engineering and Milan kits).
It also includes an additional order for 80 7.62 WASP remotely-controlled turrets, allowing the weapon to be operated from inside the vehicle. The WASP system, 100 of which were ordered by the French Army at the beginning of 2011, is produced by Panhard in cooperation with Sagem and is equipped with a MAG 58 7.62 mm machine gun coupled to a daylight and infrared observation scope and sight derived from the Felin system. The extended weapon traverse (-40°/+80°) makes the system particularly well suited for urban combat.
Vehicles not equipped with WASP will be fitted with the PL80 protection system allowing a soldier to raise his head in order to use his weapon while benefitting from the same level of protection as the vehicle itself.
Thanks to its 1,200 kg military payload, the PVP is a modern 4-wheel drive vehicle operated by command cells of artillery and engineering units, as well as specific parachute and alpine infantry, traffic control and intelligence units. Air-transportable, armoured and highly mobile, it can carry up to five passengers.
The 5,555 kg gross weight has been increased by 200 kg over the 2008 MK1 version, thanks to reinforcement of the ground link and a reduction of structural weight. Deployed in Lebanon since the end of 2009 and in Afghanistan since early 2010, its Stanag level 2 protection has been further enhanced to take account of the increasing threat from IEDs and mines.
The PVP is produced at the two Panhard industrial facilities at Marolles-en-Hurepoix (Essonne) and Saint-Germain-Laval (Loire). The PVP has generated around one million working hours for Panhard and its subcontractors to date.
About Panhard General Defense
Panhard has been designing and building armoured vehicles for nearly a century. 2,300 units of its VBL light armoured vehicle are currently in service in sixteen countries worldwide, while the French Army has ordered more than 930 units of its PVP light protected vehicle. In 2010, Panhard generated revenues of more than 100 million euros.
Communication/Marketing Contact: Grégoire Verdon
Tel.: +33 (0)1 60 82 49 87
Email: marketing@panhard.fr
2 rue Panhard et Levassor – 91630 Marolles-en-Hurepoix
– France
